The Demon Queen System - 8 The Battlefield Pt. 2 rewrite

A deafening second of silence falls over the room, however, my Grandfather reaches his arms down and pulls me up from his leg. He was gentle as not to pull too hard, he places me down into his lap. His body war warm and it felt like I was sitting next to a soothing fire.

His magic wafted off of his body, it was warm as well and seem to coat my body in a warm shell. However, there was also another magic that was bursting out from him in almost a chaotic manner towards everyone else.

“My dearest Cloud,” he says as he began to stroke my head. It was comforting to have someone do that, it was the first time since I’d been born that someone had spoken so nicely to me. I felt a warm feeling blooming in my chest.

From the corner of my eye, I could see a look of vehement disgust on my aunt’s face. She quickly tries to cover it up before anyone else sees it. Rearranging her face into a soft and concerned smile.

Ah, what a slippery snake this one was turning out to be!

But she wouldn’t be getting in my way, anymore.

Sitting up on my Grandfather’s lap, I reach out with my arms and wrap them around his neck. Pulling myself closer towards him. His whole body stiffens slightly at my sudden movement, it looks like he wasn’t expecting that. Soon enough his body relaxes.

“Grandfather, I missed you,” I tell him nuzzling my face into his neck.

Thump!

His hands were hanging loosely at his side, quickly closer around my frail body. He gently pulls my arms away from his neck and I let him. Lowering me back down from his neck, he lets me sit on his lap.

He doesn’t seem bothered by the fact that I’m pretty dirty either. The way he was looking at me was the way someone looks at a treasure!

“Of course, I missed you as well,” he says genuinely as he taps my nose lightly with a finger.

‘Who would have thought that he was such a granddaughter fiend!’ My teachers chuckle in my mind. But I don’t disagree with her, I knew that he doted on Cloud before he left. But it seems like that wasn’t the full extent of his doting!

The poor girl…

If she’d have been brave enough to talk to her Grandfather, then none of these people could have bullied her to death.

But that didn’t matter now, she was dead and now I’d easily take revenge for her and make them all pay for what they’d done. Once I was finished with that then I’d make my betrayer pay as well.

As I was lost in my thoughts, my Grandfather picks up my hand that I’d crudely bandaged. It still hurt quite a bit. I’d just been too busy trying to make my way here to give it much thought. The blood had stopped flowing for the most part, but not before it’d dyed the strips of tattered fabric a light red.

His eyes darken as he looks down at my bandaged hand. “Cloud, who did this to you?” He asks lowly.

The chaotic magic of his swirling, even more, it felt like a churching sea.

Looking towards my Aunt, her face was the mask of nothing but concern for my wellbeing, but I could see past that. Within her eyes are a deadly warning, it was practically like she was screaming a death warning at me, if I went too far, then she’d make me pay for it.

That was a bold move on her part, to try and scare me right now. Considering right now, I had all the power. It looks like she’d expected me to cave by now. It looks like she was trying to figure out how I’d even managed to get this far.

No doubt, she’d been expecting that weak girl that she was used to treating however she wanted. Bullying her and beating her without and repercussions. I’d soon teach them all a lesson, they’d be the ones that’d be bullied and beaten!

I couldn’t tell if she was the one that had poisoned me… However, if she didn’t, I knew that she wouldn’t hesitate to kill me in some way. But it was likely with my lack of nutrients and starvation, I’d die soon enough. She thought that she could sit back and let me die.

Looking away from her, I turn my attention back to my angry Grandfather, who was still looking at my hand. His face was getting sterner as he examines it.

“I fell into my mirror, it was my fault,” I tell him softly ducking my head.

“Why has no one tended to it, yet?” He asked obviously annoyed. He’d slowly undone the tattered strips of clothing from my hand.

It wasn’t scabbing over, even though the Beast Kin, were known for their superior healing capabilities. However, I was a very unhealthy child and had a weak body due to neglect. I just hope, I don’t end up stunted by the lack of food in my formative years.

The people at the table didn’t seem altogether that bothered by the fact that my Grandfather was completely ignoring them. It seems like they’re all used to his temperament, that or he was the most important person in the room.

“You,” he turns his attention towards Marissa. “Why haven’t you tended to her wounds? We’re you not the one that brought her here! How could you have been so blind to her injury?” He asks in a low and dark voice.

His magic gushing out darkly and I feel the overbearing force of it reach the top of the ceiling. Garnering his full attention Marissa’s face was a mixture of shock and fear now that she’d been thrust into the spotlight.

She was cradling her broken fingers and her jaw was already slightly swollen. It was safe to assume that she was in a great deal of pain and was doing her best to not show it.

I honestly, wouldn’t be surprised if she couldn’t speak.

“Master!” She drops down onto the ground with her forehead to the ground. It sounded like she’d slammed her head into the ground. “It’s my fault, I didn’t notice that the Young Miss was hurt,” she was obviously speaking with great effort.

“You’re an incapable maid, how can you not notice her hand that’s bleeding?” He asks again.

This time the force of his magic rushes forward with some force, slamming Marissa head into the ground. I smelled the scent of blood in the air a bit, it looks like she was bleeding.

“Not only that, why is my Granddaughter dressed in such a way?” He continues his line of questioning.

Marissa jolts slightly from her position on the ground, it looks like she knew there was no good answer to this question. While on the other side my aunt flinches ever so slightly, a bead of sweat or two began to run down her face.

He slams his hand down onto the table!

“Answer me!” He shouts.

“I-I don-t k-know,” she stutters outs.

All that managed to do was stoke the already burning rage in my Grandfather’s stomach.

“You don’t know? You don’t know why my Granddaughter is dressed like a child that lives on the street?” He snarls.

This time a wave of magic energy gushes out of his body like a violent demon, it darkens the whole of the room. It’s like a roaring fire now, and I felt a shiver runs up my body, this was such a dark and evil magic.

Turning to look at my Grandfather, I see an apparition appear behind him. It looked like a demon, thankfully, its full attention was on Marissa whose head is still being ground into the floor. Some more blood began to pool under her forehead.

The energy quickly rushes toward Marissa, and I felt my stomach drop, her whole body began to spasm, and she falls over. She’d pissed herself, and I saw foam coming out of her mouth. Her body was twitching slightly.

I could see that her eyes have rolled backward and tear-stained marks run down her face. She’s out liked a light. That was scary, the swirling black energy was ominous as it hung around her body, but my Grandfather seems to have calmed down.

Taking a deep breath, I tried to calm my beating heart.

“Are my clothes that bad, I wore my best outfit to see you,” I say looking at him.

A shocked expression ran across his face, and he coughs into his hand.

“My dear your beautiful no matter what you wear. But there are much grander clothes that would suit you even better. Grandfather just wants to see you looking like the little Princess that you are,” he says with a hurried tone, and I wanted to laugh.

He wasn’t a bad person at all.